St. John's Priory, Kalmar, commonly known simply as ''Kalmar Nunnery'', was a
Roman Catholic convent for women of the
Dominican Order in Kalmar in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, in operation from 1299 until 1505.
History
The Abbey was founded by the rich landowner
Margareta Gustafsdotter, who became its first abbess.
The members of the Abbey predominantly came from wealthy noble families who lived upon the income from their estates, and the life of the abbey was strictly reclusive, the nuns seldom coming in contact with the population of the city.
According to the legend of the chronicle ''
Rimkrönikan'', a member of the abbey had a vision foretelling that
Charles VIII of Sweden would one day wear a crown. The infamous lady
Brita Tott
Brita Olovsdotter Tott (or ''Thott'') (in Swedish) or Birgitte Olufsdatter Thott (in Danish), (fl. 3 March 1498) was a Danish and Swedish noble, landowner and royal county administrator She was judged for treason and for the forgery of sea ...
was reportedly imprisoned here for a period of time after having been sentenced for treason.
[Brita Olovsdotter (Thott) i Wilhelmina Stålberg, Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor (1864)]
In 1505, the ongoing conflict between the Swedes and Danes around the city of Kalmar created fears that the Abbey, being strategically placed, would one day be in fear of being used by the Danes in a fight over the town. The members therefore relocated to the
Skänninge Abbey
Skänninge Abbey, also known as St. Ingrid's Priory, St. Martin's Priory or Skänninge Nunnery, was a Roman Catholic convent for females of the Dominican Order in Skänninge in Sweden, in operation from 1272 until 1544. It was founded by Saint Ing ...
, transferring the assets and privileges of the St. John's Priory with them.
The buildings was used by the military, and eventually torn down in 1523-24.
Legacy
An area of the city of Kalmar,
Kvarnholmen, originally ''Systraholmen'' ('Islet of the Sisters') as well as a river, ''Systraströmmen'' ('River of the Sisters'), has been named after the abbey.
References
Kalmarlexikon.seSkandia: Tidskrift för Vetenskap och Konst, Volym 3
{{Catholic Church in Sweden
Dominican convents
1299 establishments in Europe
13th-century establishments in Sweden
Christian monasteries established in the 13th century
1505 disestablishments in Sweden